Twodogs

It would seem like Polanco might fit that role also? Due to his switch hittability?

Well for someone on base almost 50% of the time to only score 80 runs is probably more of a product of his team. Name the last Twin that has hit 372 doubles, 269 Home runs and a career batting average of .311 in like 5500 at bats. if there ever was one I don't think anyone would be bashing them. Joey Votto is one of the best ever and yeah someone will always find something wrong. But he is one of the best out there, he has only popped out to an infielder 16 times in his career and I think he has never popped out to the pitcher, catcher or first baseman. That is an amazing stat of a great great hitter. I'm sure ichiro Suzuki and Tony Gwynn and rod Carew all could have hit a lot home runs but chose to be professional hitters and two of those guys have the AL and NL batting titles named after them. The Reds arent that great and it's not Joey Vottos fault. Just like it's not Kirk Cousins fault that the Vikings weren't that good, it's not Lebrons fault that the Lakers are bad, it's never one guys fault. I'm sure Votto could have hit 35 bombs instead of 25 and that wouldn't have made the Reds any better when you have a crappy pitching staff, etc...

Shoot, Hicks just made 70 Mil, just be happy for him.

Yeah, my point was that none of those guys were big splash guys and that bullpen was solid. So hopefully they do well this year.

However, right now seeing Reed, Duffy and Hildendinger isn't exciting me a whole lot. Like I said in the above is that those guys looked tough in spring training. Not like Reed has so far, those guys weren't getting lit up in the spring. So I'm not sold yet, I am hoping for the best though!

I can remember in 2002 following spring training that a guy like JC Romero was going to be lights out. I hadn't hardly heard of him before that spring training, I mean I knew they tried to start him a few times the year before but honestly I didn't think much of him. Anyway that year the twins put together a bullpen that included Guardado, failed starter Latroy Hawkins failed starter JC Romero failed starter Johan Santana, rule 5 pickup, flirted with starting some games, didn't become a full time starter till 2004. Bob Wells journeyman, prob failed starter Tony fiore mid season pickup Michael Jackson, (hee hee), prob a waiver wire pickup, I'm not sure Juan Rincon prob failed starter. That was one of the better bullpens in recent twins history and look at that conglomerate of guys, I'd say not much hope for those guys until the season played out and that team won 94 games.

Joey Votto had a .474 OBP in 2012. That is absolutely crazy.

I don't really care, he has 4 home runs and 3 doubles now this spring and that's good news. I know it's not regular season but hitting is hitting and anything positive is good stuff. The twins need him to do well.

I think Kimbrel 3 - 45 would be great.

Keuchel looks a little better after that Odorizzi debacle today

Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was just me or not, but Addison Reed appears to be done. I know it's spring training and all, but the couple of times I've watched him he has not looked good at all, seems like even his body language looks bad. Like he's not sure what to do next.

I'm not sure the God's appreciate all of the frivolous joking about offerings of nothing. It might make them mad enough to brew up some bi-lateral leg weakness and spew it on to one of our boys. You know, one of those injuries that you just can't figure out.

I don't know, I think the Twins would be better with Keuchel, but the Twins have some depth in the rotation. It's the bullpen that really worries me and with Reed getting shelled the other day again it would seem to me that the most pressing need would be Bullpen help. There is a stud out there.

He'll be fine. Tape that **** up.

Sano prob needs to sit down and study what the pitchers are trying to do to him. I think this cut on his foot is overblown. It's a cut, they don't want it to get infected so they are keeping him out until it's healed? I'm hoping he has a good season!

I have been adamant that they needed to shore up that bullpen all off-season. But when looking at how many close losses they had last year, maybe they feel as though they can compete with a stronger lineup? If all things remain the same, more runs wins more games. After watching Buxton hit 3 dingers and watching Schoop hit an absolute blast yesterday, I'm thinking that the Twins brass is looking at it like if they are in the running come July, they will make some trades at the deadline to fix the problems so as to make a playoff run? Thats the only way I can see it as of right now? Otherwise I have no idea what they are doing.

Buxton is on fire, he has 11 rbi already, dang I don't think he had that many rbis for the twins all last year? Nice to see him getting some confidence.

Yeah I understand what you are saying, but, to me, with the addition of Gonzalez; you have Garver who is the backup catcher and he hits Right handed, to Castro's Left. Gonzalez can play almost every position except Catcher and he is a switch hitter, then Cave is the 4th OF and he hits left, and then it would seem to me that someone like Austin can be that Right handed bat off the bench in that moment of need, especially in those handful of games played against the national league where you might want to pinch hit for a pitcher? With the addition of Gonzalez and his position flexibility and his bat, I just don't see a demanding need for a guy like Adrianza. And I thought he did ok last year, came up big a few times. But with two righties, a lefty and a switch hitter on the bench I feel at least like the number of different lineup possibilities are numerous. Just seems to me that Austin is really out of positions with CJ and now Gonzalez in the mix, but his bat also seems more dangerous than any of the other guys they have.

Yeah, you can put him anywhere in the lineup you want, my main point was that you shouldn't need the bench to make an everyday lineup, the bench should be the bench, to occasionally spell a starter and to use to pinch hit etc... During the games so you can play matchups better.

OF Buxton SS Polanco DH Cruz OF Rosario 3B Sano OF Kepler 2B Schoop 1B Cron C Castro Those other guys are on the bench

I don't see anything wrong with a bench of Cave Garver Gonzalez Austin I mean the guys they have playing everyday are young, and as long as the twins don't have any new 80 game suspensions I don't see that much need for an Adrianza or any other light hitting middle infielder. If need be, injury or something you can probably find a guy like that on waivers, or use Gordon in that role if need be? I mean Danny Santana is still getting work, so there are guys out there that can fill that need. Put the bats on the bench until they need that guy. Cave OF PR Garver C 1B Gonzalez pretty much anywhere Austin 1B DH PH

It makes some sense that the big market teams a la the Yankees are already set, why spend a bunch more when you already have Stanton, Judge, etc... Also, why are players from other countries not included in the draft. That makes no sense to me. If they were included in the draft then the rules for these players could become more in line with each other. International players should have to declare for the draft. Then these phenoms will have to go to who drafts them. Not be able to hold out and go where ever. If they played professionally in Korea, or the Dominican then treat then like they just came out of college?

You are correct, about the only thing the older players have, or at least had say 10 years ago was name recognition, you could say this guy was going to put more people into the seats than some unknown, but the unknown may perform just as, or close to as good as the guy with name recognition. Now I feel in the steroid era that the older guys did play better because they were less injury prone and they had greater experience. But that isn't as much the case now. However, I'm not sure your analogy flies, as all of the 1960 vehicles that I see all seem to be more expensive than the new ones.

They might need to re-structure how they pay each draft slot sort of like the NFL does? But then owners could end up paying big for players that go bust in the night. AKA Ryan Leaf etc....

I think analytics are somewhat to blame for the change of approach that ownership has. For instance most players are just numbers now and not names. When a player had developed a name for himself he was paid according to his reputation, some good, some bad. However, now most of these guys don't have names anymore they are just a bunch of numbers. So at one point in time your name got you paid, now it's your numbers and the funny thing is that one person's numbers may be better than another person's, but not significantly better, so then I feel teams just kind of ignore the guys who have good numbers but not significantly better numbers than some kid they can pull out of AAA. I mean why does it seem so hard for a guy like Moustakis to get some sort of deal done. I mean it's obvious that he is one of the better guys at his position, and in the old days someone would have overpaid for his services not only because he performs pretty well but because he is a proven winner and a good guy. But even though he is one of the better players at his position, he is not significantly better than someone they can replace him with. So he toils in these good but not great one year deals.